The Final Unit
by TheGirlwithaPin
Summary: Truely, Zarrah's been intrigued by the ideas of Panem's beginning, and why people revere her parents and stare at them. Zarrah Rue Mellark has some unanswered questions about her family. Then, the time comes for her to learn in school about the hunger games and her parents part in the history of the nation, so how does she react? Rated teen for swearing -might go up to M later.
1. Chapter 1

Final Unit

Chapter One

Before the sun starts to rise a house in the former Victor's Village rumbles with life. The spring air leads a soft breeze smelling of the primrose flowers leading to the front door, which opens with a cautious creak. The middle aged man unmistakably shuffles as quietly as he can out of the house, caring for the still sleeping inhabitants inside. He wears a white apron, jeans and a blue shirt rolled up at the sleeves that matches his eyes. When he leaves to go to the bakery that he owns with pride, he slightly limps.

For one leg is a prosthetic, taken from him in a time that goes unspoken. This man with golden hair and a well fit build of a baker is told in the history books taught in the schools. He's damaged, but recovered as much of what he had before he was captured.

Its been years since Peeta Mellark has had any hijacked episodes.

Its been years since he has to talk about...those things that are unspeakable. He's married to Katniss, the love of his life, and has two wonderful kids. They aren't so little anymore, he has to remind himself. Zarrah Rue has Katniss's hair, and his eyes. She's a hunter, even surpassed Katniss in some respects. His wonderful daughter is much like him, drawing the world around her in amazing detail and knows her ways with words, and likeable to people.

She's passionate, much like Katniss, so they have their arguements. She sings and the world around her listens, but can't cook for her life.

That's when her brother comes in. Chase loves to bake, with a build similar to Peeta, he's become quite the Mellark, with his father golden locks and his mother's grey eyes. He's shy and quieter than his sister, and they love each other so much that they'll die for the other. Katniss tried takinghim out into the woods, even though he cant shoot an arrow or weapon at all, he took an interest to the plants and collects the bountyful wonders of the forest for use in the bakery. They're four years apart, just like Katniss and Prim. He muses about his family as he works in his passion for life.

* * *

When the clock strikes six in the morning, Zarrah Rue Mellark is fixing her long, raven like hair into a long braid straight down the spine of her back. She glances outside to see the sun just peeking out over the horizon. Sighing, she quickly changes into dark blue jeans and a blue shirt that matches her eyes, grabbing her shoulder bag that house her school supplies and without a sound laces her hunting boots, grabs her black hunting jacket from the hook by the front door, grabbing her lunch made the night before. Zarrah scans for anything that she could have missed, finding her quiver of arrows by the mantle and strapping it across her body. In that moment, Chase walks down the stairs with his backpack and lunch in hand, so silently, like their usual routine, they leave a scribbled note to mom on the counter and shut the front door behind them, companionly walking to school together.

_Aren't you going to be caught with your arrows again?_ Chase pointedly looks at the quiver strapped to her back.

_Maybe. I know Ms. Holden by now that I know where I can hide them. I'll probably put them behind Dad's bakery, by the apple tree. _

_Ms. Holden is strict_. He allows.

You think? Just wait until you have her for Panem Literature in four years! She laughs at her brother's mockingly horrifyed expression. Yet she wonders why in her history class why everyone was so curious about the next unit, and why the hell her teacher, Mr. Olson keeps on staring at her when her warns about how serious his class is. How they were so fucking entitled and ignorant of why the past matters to why they were in his class.

Truely, Zarrah's been intrigued by the ideas of Panem's beginning, and why people revere her parents and stare and Uncle Haymitch with respect. It seemed so weird that her parents rarely talked about how they met, or anything about their pasts. Chase and Zarrah know that mom always has bad days, not being able to get out of bed and screaming in the middle of the night. Dad has to sometimes grip a chair with his knuckles turning white and has a room locked up at all times where he goes to paint. Or he takes a walk in the meadow. Their parents never fight however, and that's a blessing because most of the families here have something weird or not normal about them. They do too, yet the sibilings aren't able to grasp any idea about how important they were to their nation's renewal.

* * *

Zarrah and Chase each eat a muffin on the way to school the rest of the way in silence. Zarrah dashes to quickly hid her quiver of arrows, and they say their goodbyes as they part ways for their classes.

Chase heads into a morning of math and coal mining extraction for four hours. He excells at most of his subjects in school, and even if he's a brown noser and a bit of a class clown, he doesn't overdo the limits of his teachers.

Zarrah walks into Ms. Holden's classroom five minutes early, taking her seat in the middle of the classroom next to Emily on her left and Brandon behind her. Emily and Brandon are twins from District 5, moving here a while back. Emily has bright red hair and cheerful emerald green eyes with a shy yet stubborn personailty and Brandon is more mischivous with light brown hair and hazel eyes.

_Hey._ Greets Emily. Zarrah says hello back.

_Ready for Hell in a novel?_

_Shut up_ _Brandon, she might hear_. Emily childs him.

_Im ready to draw shit as she lectures for the next two hours._ Zarrah smiles slightly, taking out her materials just as the bell rings, opening her incognito sketch book.

Ms. Holden starts speaking to the class and talking about naturalism on the board, however five minutes in the door opens and Cassandra, the absolute most cruel, somewhat popular, and arrogant strides into the classroom, ignoring Ms. Holden's glare and taking her seat next to Emily, who discreetly rolls her eyes at Zarrah who nods.

_Looks like you found the time to be in class, Cassandra._

She reponds with twirling a long of blonde hair around her fingers, and Ms. Holden continues the lecture on Naturalism for the rest of the hour. In that time, Zarrah writes down the notes on Naturalism in her binder while continuing the sketch of mockingjays in a canopy of willow branches in a meadow, when the bell sounds for the five minute break.

Zarrah shows the sketch to Emily and Brandon who declares it a masterpeice while she continues the sketch. Ms. Holden talks to Cassandra privatelyand when the five minute break ends, Ms. Holden signals the class for their attention.

_I believe that a project is in order. Its what we call the final year project, which as you all know that your education ends next year. The History Department combines support with the other departments. Each of you are required by The Republic of Panem to create an analysis and reflection of what you learn in the final year unit and how it affects you as a person and our nation as a whole. It can take any form, a portfolit of drawings to a video. What I am here to caution all of you about is that this project remains a secret and not passed to any other student here, or sibiling, or parents. Thats why the unit that you will be covering in your History of Panem course is such a secret, and also so serious that none of you will understand._

_What you learn in the final year unit is also transfered into literature, of course, I can't tell you all any specfic things now, however if you have any questions, just ask._

_Also, the finalist that is selected as the winner of the best Final Unit Project will have their project shown in the annual Rememberance Day and placed into the Panem Memorial Museum._

_I'll give each of you a notebook that each of you must use to record notes on the Final Year Project in your history and also in this course._

_So what are we doing now?_ Cassandra blurted that out, bored.

_You have a study hall for the rest of this class period. _

Ms. Holden glares at Cassandra as she passes out the small, leather bound notebooks to each of the students. When she teaches Zarrah, Ms. Holden's eyes softened slightly as she places the black notebook on her desk. Zarrah nods at her teacher, surprised that the usually strict teacher lessened her gaze.

She pens her name in cursive on the inside of the page, and spends the rest of the class speaking quietly with Emily and Brandon, confused about the relevations of the Final Year Unit.

A/N: So excited for this! Don't worry however, Im working on the second chapter :-) all rights to suzanne collins, etc, etc...

review if you want :-)


	2. Chapter 2: Revelations

The Final Unit

Chapter Two: Revelations

All rights to suzanne collins. Etc. Copyright Lionsgate thing trailer from a couple of days ago... Will update soon.

I need a beta, so if anyone wants to help me that would be great :-)

enjoy and review if you like!

* * *

Mr. Olson calms his most challenging class of students he's ever had to deal with for the second time in a minute. He stares at all of them once they're quiet, Cassandra next to Zarrah, who was in the second row in the center, and Emily on her left. He clears his throat and wonders if the child of the most famous victors even knows about her parents. He knows that she doesn't, and he fears that he's going to shatter her life, which he wishes that he didn't have too, but it bound to happen that she will find out, and he's going to try to support her. If only he knew...

* * *

I watch as Mr. Olson pulls down the screen thats used to project videos or movies, then turn to us and start speaking.

_This unit that I have been talking to you all about is starting now. I suggest you all take notes of the chapters that we cover in class and out of class I ask that you do your homework for once._

_These textbooks, _He gestures to the masses of paper behind him_, don't ever leave your sight. Only you can read this textbook, and no other student not in the Final Year Unit can look at its contents. Its required by the government when you are mature enough to be taught that history should never be repeated._

_Especially what is covered in this class from now on._

He passes out the textbooks, surprisingly light for 500 pages. Once he does that, he continues to speak, and we are all listening.

_I'm going to read the introduction now, and all of you follow along now, this is important._

I turn to the first page, titled in fancy script, An Introduction. Our teacher starts to speak what seems to be a letter trying to explain the contents of this unit.

_Students,_

_You have learned of what happened in the country known as the United States of America, our predecessor of the land of Panem. Somehow, we inherited the land of that fallen nation from the ashes of it, rising the 13 districts and in its center, The Capitol. The districts, much like they do now, supplied our nation and the Capitol with resources and materials nessceary to survive. It was a hard life in the districts, and they rebelled against the Capitol in the event known as the Dark Days._

_The districts lost that battle, and District 13 was destroyed, sent underground to die and The Capitol took an even tighter grip on its suppliers and districts. A treaty was forced by the Capitol, and the rebellion vanquished. What was signed on that day declared the start of a horrible and unforgivable act. The Hunger Games._

_"Each year, in a reminder and tribute that the districts rebelled against the Capitol, each district, in an annual festival, must send one boy and one girl each between the ages of 12-18 to fight to the death, until one remains, given the title of victor, and rewarded with riches, fame, and many more things. The victor will mentor the pair of tributes from his or her district until death or another victor takes their place."_

_For 75 years, 24 children of the districts were sent to fight for their lives, and only one came back. There were some exceptions to this rule, as in one year, the 50th Quarter Quell, double the amount of tributes were sent into that arena, but only one came back. In another, the 74th Hunger Games, two victors from District 12 were saved from that hell, yet the cost caught enough fire to change Panem into what it is today._

_For those of you who are confused, everything will be explained in this book and in the footage that you will watch of The Hunger Games. And yet, most of you might be surprised that we keep this from you all for so long..._

_For the memories are painful, and the stories are hard to tell._

_I watched as the love of my life volunteered in a desperate act to save her little sister, and at 16 I was reaped alongside her. In those Games I told the nation I loved her, and she, being who she is, never gave me a second thought then until it was all about survival. We captured the hearts of the Capitol, and we lit the spark that started the second rebellion. It wasn't without any costs, for I lost my leg and we both lost our ability to sleep at night..._

_We tried to convince President Snow to not punish us for trying to stop the rebellion that was too late to control, the love of my life and I feared that her sister might be reaped...But it was much, much worse._

_The 75th Hunger Games had each district send in a pair of victors, which meant that the love of my life was automatically going into the arena. I went with her. It spread the anger of the districts to even some of the Capitol, in which my love got pregnant. Chaos. And then we were sent to die._

_In the arena, we didn't know of a rebellion. Only Finnick Odair from 4 and Johanna Mason from 7 lead us some indistinct clues. My love broke the arena down, remembering who the enemy is, and more than one person made it out alive._

_I was tortured by the Capitol, and they twisted my mind. I'm healed, mostly, yet none of us victors will ever rid of the scars of the ordeals we had to face. And we fought the Capitol and won._

_One day, my children will be reading this, and learning about their parent's pasts. What I hope is that this book will say what I cannot speak of._

_Remember: we must never let this be forgotten, for otherwise this act and many more autrosities will happen._

_Sincerely,_

_Peeta Mellark_

_District 12_

_Co Victor of the 74th annual Hunger Games_

_Survivor of the Third Quarter Quell_

* * *

_...Why?_

My angered voice rises in the silence, and the fact that every single person is staring at me. For once, I'm shocked. And absolutely frusterated at my parents for not telling me, or giving me a warning that they might be in my fucking history book! I scowl when Cassandra starts to say something.

_Zarrah? Her parents famous? Everyone knows that her mother is insane and ill in her head! _Her followers laugh along with her.

My fists are clenched like my father does sometimes, and I shut my eyes to try and calm myself, but its not working.

_Are YOU BLIND? My parents actually sacrificed their lives...my aunt died the day the Capitol surrendered! My father lost his family when 12 was destroyed! He was tortured! If you go through something horrible, something that none of us know about yet, then I believe that we all would have some type of effect from that, Cassandra. You don't know a thing about my mother. She's strong. And your parents... Well, they're from District One, and they killed more of us than we killed your kind! _I take a deep breath.

_Maybe, when we learn about why my parents haven't even mentioned any of this, you'll have a change of heart. However, if you ever talk about my family like that again, I'll grab my bow and shoot an arrow through your skull._

My threat makes the class silent, and Mr. Olson says that we're going to watch a video, and that our homework is to read the first chapter tonight. As he readies it, I stew over the new relevations and give Emily a nod to tell her that I'm okay. Cassandra glares at me and I ignore her as she whispers franticly to her followers. All I know is that me lunch is going to be hell for a while.

What flickers onto the screen is accompinied by patriotic music and the former Capitol emblem with Capitol TV scrawled into it then the screen flashes into pure white, and a older man with white hair and snake eyes sits on a throne made of all white wearing an all white suit and a white rose in his lapel. Fucking terrifying. he starts to speak about unity and sacrifice, when a younger version of my father, weraing all white as well, stands to the right of the president with a nuetral expression on his face, and his eyes are mine, except a bit darker. I study how much Hunter is growing up to be like him, yet I shudder as the President's words are spoken with more fervor, forcing all of us his attention.

_Since the Dark Days, our great nation has known only peace. Ours is an elegant system, conceived to nourish, and protect. Your districts are the body, the Capitol is the beating heart. Your hard work feeds us, and in return, we feed and protect you. And if you resist the system, you starve yourself. If you fight against it, it is you who will bleed. I know you will stand with me, with us, with all of us, together, as one. PANEM TODAY, PANEM TOMORROW, PANEM FOREVER._

When that video ends, I take notes on his speech and my father's appearence, wondering how I was going to come up with any idea for this project. I mean, we have a year to complete it, so I have to start brainstorming somewhere.

When we are sent to lunch for an hour, I sit with Emily and find Hunter. He sits next to me, and I have the upmost urge to just tell him about dad and everything, but I can't. I need to keep it to myself.

I have a scowl on my face and eat in silence until Brandon heads to our table with a 6 feet, lanky guy with tan skin. He has a slightly light shade of hair than mine, a light brown, and his hair is windblown back. He seems fit, and he walks silently, much like a person trained with the ways of the forest.

Brandon grins and sits across from Chase, and the other guy sits across from me.

_So I got the new kid. Showing him around and stuff...He's from 2._ Brandon gestures to him.

_I'm Jason. Nice to meet you._ Jason shakes Chase's hand, then turns towards me.

His eyes are quite green. Not menacing, like Cassandra's, but they're like the sunlight on grass.

_Name's Zarrah_. I say, _and Chase's my brother._

_I see the resemblance_. He smiles. I lighten my scowl.

_What year are you?_

_I'm 19. I'm in the final year, I have the project to do._

_Right. I'm in the final year as well. Turning 18 in december._

He seems to look for confirmation to stay, So I take it upon myself.

_Welcome to the table._


	3. Chapter 3: Reactions

The Final Unit

Chapter Three: Reactions

Its a bit long this chapter, but I hope all of you like it! Review if you can!

All rights to Suzanne Collins, etc...

* * *

After lunch I grab my things and walk to my art class that for the rest of the day, smiling at Mrs. Weiss and gather a midsized portrait canvas and some oil paints. I find my spot, and because this is a final year class, everyone is staring at me.

_No shit._ My mind comes up with that. I scowl and ignore the whispers around me, taking the textbook and opening to the first chapter.

It has a portrait of the old man with white hair sitting on the throne, his snake like eyes staring at you. Underneath it, the caption reads President Coriolanus Snow. Tyrannitcal Ruler of Panem until his death at the end of the Second Rebellion.

Snow seems fitting for a man such as him. He looks altered, and snake like. staring at his eyes makes me shudder, and I see the white rose in his lappel.

As I continue to read, I learn that Coriolanus rose through the ranks of being the leader of Panem by drinking poison and outsmarting his enemies. He had mouth sores, and so he smelled of blood and roses. It says that he manipulated the victors, and since hecame into power during the 23rd Hunger Games, that the districts had an even tighter control on their supplies, and district two kept on winning more often. It explains his decline briefly, that he died either choking on his own blood, or being crushed by the crowds that stormed the stage during his public execution. When that section ends, I shudder and stare at his portrait. Then, I close the textbook and start painting.

I start by drawing in his face and neck, trying to get his shoulders right. Then, I take the paint and create a solid dark wooden color background, then I focus on starting the actual person himself. I paint on the base layers for the color of his skin, then I perfect the shading. Snow is without eyes and facial features right now, but I have to let the paint dry first until tomorrow.

I have a bit of time left after I clean up my materials, so I continue to read the textbook, sitting on the stool...

* * *

**Chapter One Section Two: Staples of the Hunger Games By: Haymitch Abernathy**

The Hunger Games were an annual event where everyone was required to watch children fight for their lives. You might be asking how do you pick the tributes?

The children were split into their age groups, 12 to 18. One slip was put in each year automatically. If you took tessera for food, your chances were increased. When a name was picked, you had to go up to the stage. Hence, you were reaped out of ball of doom. Called the Reaping

However, if someone your same gender and eligeable to be reaped volunteered, they would go instead.

Bigger districts had a piliminary drawing, such as District 11, then about one fourth of the population of that district would be in the final reaping ball.

Sometimes, the volunteer protocols were difficult due to the honor of volunteering and representing your district in Districts 1 and 2, and sometimes District 4. Known as the Career Districts, they trained in secret for the games and then selected their best pupils to go into the games. The Capitol loved them so much that they had the most victors, and they got extremely arrogant. Of course, this dossn't mean that any of the outer districts had volunteers, but that was rare...

After you where picked to die, or volunteered to die, you were sent into the Justice Building for final goodbyes, then packed onto a train for a taste of the Capitol. Then you were styled and made a grand enterance on chariots to the training centre. Your spent three days there training or weeping and eating, then you were interviewed for a last chance for sponsers, then sent to kill each other on live televison in an arena. The Capitol celebrated. Huge parties! Lots of acholhol, and money to help tributes, sponsers.

The price of something increased the longer the games went. So a cracker costed less on day one, bloodbath than on day eleven.

the arena chaged every year, and the hazards along with it. A cornucopia, with a lot of supplies and weapons, etc, was stationed around where all the tributes got up into the arena, and they wore clothes suited to the environment. Muttations were also a part of the arena, and the birds you call mockingjays are a cross between Capitol bred Jabberjays, who could replicate human speech and mockingbirds, singing birds. Now mockingjays can replicate tones and songs. They became a symbol of the second rebellion, yet you won't know about that until later.

Every 25 years a Quarter Quell was spun onto a more deadly and celebrated hunger games with new twists on the rules to punish and remind the districts more so of their sacrifice.

The first Quarter Quell, the districts elected tributes through a voting process. A girl from district two won that, and she became an idol for the outer districts. She was the victor from the 21st Hunger Games, then was elected for the first Quarter Quell.

In the second twice the amount of tributes were reaped to remind us that for every rebel who fell, two of the Capitol died. I won that year.

The third broke the promise that victors were free from going into the arena again. Yet one female and one male victor were reaped to fight to the death. More details on that game later, but it started the full out war of the second rebellion. These Staples of the Games are a good thing to remember, but it's also good to remember something else.

**Chapter One Section Three: Rules of the Hunger Games By: Haymitch Abernathy**

These rules were unspoken in the arena, but you had to abide by them or you died in some horrific way.

One: One Victor only (exception: see 74th Hunger Games and Third Quarter Quell)

Two: Stay Alive (my favorite, as its my advice)

Three: Don't eat other tributes (District 9 tribute Titus did this. Died in a staged avalance.)

Four: Dont step off your pedistal until the 60 seconds are up (otherwise you're blown sky high) on girl's token was a wooden ball, and it dropped before the gong rung and the hilocraft had to collect the bits and peices of her body.

Five: No hidden weapon tokens, (see first Quarter Quell) nor tokens that can get loose before the games begin (otherwise you're blown sky high)

Six: Try to thank your mentor(s).

Of course there also was the unspoken rule that the Gamemakers would spice things up, so don't get comfortable, because you aren't safe until you get out of the arena.

Not really, though. The Capitol would always watch you, and covet you. And your district would fear you. Then as a victor you were alone, or had to commit some unpleasant acts...

* * *

I look up to hear the bell ring and grab all of my things. I close the textbook and shaking my head a bit, I speed walk to the bakery and fish out my quiver, trekking to the woods so that I could clear my mind a bit.

_So Haymitch is a victor too? Drunken Haymitch? Uncle Haymitch? _I ask myself. Haymitch might actually be helpful if I ask him questions, as he's already my go to guy. He helps calm mom down and I help him with his geese. He's mostly sober now, and not as yellow. but he's still same old Haymitch, according to mom and dad.

I grab my bow from my hollowed tree hiding place. It's mom's bow, not her super tech one, but her old bow. It works, even if I'm taller than her by a couple of inches. I find my game bag, and I silently tread around the woods I call home.

I end up shooting six squirrels, two rabbits, and a pheasant bird. Its already six, and I find the flat-faced rock that I sit on and watch the sunset. The colors of it are magnificent. All of the purplish blues and pink golds.

Once I've delayed coming home for dinner enough, I get up from the flat rock and haul my things towards home.

I hide my bow in its hiding place and manage to walk home, opening the door and taking off my boots at the entrance. Placing my quiver by the umbrella holder, I place a fake smile on my face and carry my school stuff and the Game Bag into the kitchen, where Dad turns towards me with a smile on his face.

He takes the Game Bag. _Welcome home, little bird! _I resist the urge to scream and yell that he's been lying to me this whole time. I give him a hug, relaxing into his hug.

_Thanks, Dad. _I say, like there is nothing wrong. He chuckles quietly and yells for Chase to come downstairs, that dinner's almost ready. Mom walks from the dining room, her eyes dull and hair frizzy, but with a half smile on her face. Hopefully she recovered from this bad day that she had.

_Hey Zarrah, _She smiles at me,_ Haymitch is coming over soon, so why don't you put your stuff upstairs. We're having that leftover rabbit stew for dinner tonight._

_Sure, I'll be back in a minute._ I reign in my emotions and... Fear of the unknown about my parent's pasts and quickly run up the stairs. When I open my door, I step into my room, staring at the mural of the woods, all of its forests and trees, and the meadow with all of its grass and sunlight, and I carefully take the textbook out of my school bag. I find a rarely used drawer in my desk and place it in there. Breathing in and out for a minute, I undo my braid and let down my hair in a black sheet down my back, taking off my hunting jacket and changing into a dark blue blouse. I promise myself to read the rest of the chapter tonight, and to ask questions later with Haymitch alone sometime.

I walk down the stairs in control of my emotions, smiling when Haymitch comes into the house, no drink in sight. His hair's grey except for the small streaks of brown.

_Hey sweetheart. How's life? _I scowl at the nickname.

_Survivable. _I say. He raises an eyebrow of his, and I mouth 'later'. he nods in understanding. We have a different way of communicating than most of my family. We understand each other, or at least, I thought I knew him.

We walk to the table, me sitting next to Chase, Haymitch across from me, and Mom and Dad at the head of the table. I eat my portion of the rabbit stew, more or less focusing more on my food than anything, but then I get a thought that makes me lose my appetite. _They're called the Hunger Games for a reason, right? Hunger. Yet what id the animals that I killed were tributes? What if they were human beings?_

I immediately feel sick and horrified. My throat feels like its on fire, and my stomach feels like its sunk to the bottom. I grab my water and drink two full cups quickly to try and get rid of the _feeling_.

_You okay, sis? C_oncerns my brother, his eyes almost silver_._

_Yep. _I lie. I want to scream._ Just a bad taste, that's all._

The conversation continues around the table, something about District Four and Finn. When there's a break, I venture into who knows what.

_You feeling better Mom? _I ask. Mom hides a brief moment of overwhelming suffering and pain, then puts her mask on and smiles.

_Of course. Thanks for the note this morning. It helped._

I smile back, secretly wondering why she was so broken and damaged by the games and the war and had nightmares. I guess I would figure it out soon enough though.

For the rest of the dinner I stay quiet, and when I clean up the dishes and Chase goes to sleep, I return to the table and sit with my adult figures. My parents and Uncle Haymitch who won't tell me anything. I quietly grab a good sized sketchpad and stare at the blank piece of paper. They start talking, and they make their way to the living room, with the rarely turned on television and the running fireplace, its flames bright in hues of red, orange and sparks of yellow.

I see a perfect position from Mom. She sits crouched in front of the fire, watching the flames grow and spiral. Her hair has little streaks of silver, in its signature braid off the shoulder. I draw a quick outline of her, saving the moment and how it looks in my mind so that I can draw it tomorrow. I hug each of them before going to my room, muttering a goodnight and locking my door behind me. I turn on my desk light and read the rest of the chapter, still confused about almost everything related to my parents and Haymitch. The only thing that I get from reading it is that I don't know my parents at all. Nothing. I just hope that I'll be able to figure out more as we continue to learn in the Final Unit.


	4. Chapter 4: Horror

The Final Unit

Chapter Four: Horror

Tamed it down from being too graphic of the games, please PM me if it is too graphic or something- be warned.

* * *

I got some sleep last night, which is surprising considering the textbook. I will myself to leave the shelter of the covers and hop into the shower, sighing in relief as my muscles release their tension. I brush my teeth after, putting on some eyeliner and mascara, but not a lot. My hair dries without frizz for once, and I untangle it with my brush. I braid it down my back, tying the end with an elastic twist band. It bounces on my lower spine as I change into a charcoal grey bell sleeved shirt with blue feather stencils running up the side and around the back. Aunt Annie gotme the shirt in District Four, and its a very light material. I find a pair of black denim leggings, pull them on me, and grab my sketchbook, school stuff and stash the textbook in the bag as well.

I pull on my hunting jacket, grab my quiver from the enterance and wait for Chase, putting my luch in my bag and picking at the muffin dad made for me. Chase grabs his stuff and leave with me, and we make some small talk. Not in the mood for his questions right now, I stash my quiver and we say our goodbyes at school.

In Literature, Ms. Holden checks eachof our notebooks for what we've written about the first chapter individually. While its quiet, Cassandra starts talking with her followers.

_Looks ill?_

_Yep. probably like the little self entitled shit she is..._

_Not taking the news well, Mellark? Ha._

I try to ignore them as they continue to make comments about my appearence and my parents, but I don't feel up to challenging them right now. I finish the sketch of mom, pausing to take out the colored pencils that I packed.

_Zarrah?_ I look up. It's Ms. Holden, holding my journal in her hands. I close my sketchbook and ignore the anxoius feeling biulding in the back of my mind. I follow her into her side room/ office.

_I know that this is all new to you, but you're doing better than we expected. I love your insights, and your questions about your parents and your aunts and uncles. If you're wondering about all of them, all I can tell you is to relax a bit, the unit covers them too._

_Okay_. I say. _Thanks Ms. Holden._

I leave without a sound to my desk, coloring the sketch of mom until its a moment frozen in time, her darkened eyes like thunderstorm clouds, expressive in their fear.

* * *

My life turns a bit better considering Cassandra and her torments, because Jason sits next to me. We take out our textbooks and discuss with Mr. Olson.

_Okay. So, every week we are going to watch two Hunger Games. If you feels sick at anytime, feel free to let yourself out of the room for a bit, and we'll discuss them after they're done._

He turns off the lights and the movie starts running, with a short video explaining the sacrifice of the districts and Panem and mostly shit, in my opinion. The reapings happen. All looking war torn and hardened, no matter their age. Two twelve year olds from our district.

The chariot rides come. And it's silent in the room. We are coal miners. The district Two boy seems to get a lot of attention, and he gets a ten for training scores. His interview is mostly confident, saying that he'll win no matter what.

The arena is a wide opened field with the Cornucopia in the middle. Two tributes are blown sky high by stepping off their pedistals early. No luck for the boy of ten and the girl of twelve then. Then the boy from district two grabs a sword, and he beheads the girl from eleven and starts going on a ramage. He stabs the boy from district nine in the stomach, and then just kills the boy from eleven.

_What the hell?!_

_He just killed those kids?! Emily yells at the video._

Of course thats when the girl and boy from District Four each grab a trident. The girl throws her trident at the running girl from nine and retrieves it, while her district partner charges forward and kills the hulking boy from seven. The district two girl lies dead from the seven's girl's axe, who escapes the hell stomach turning bloodbath. When the canons sound marking for each death, we start counting.

Both from 9 and 11, one each from 2, 7, 10 and 12.

The district one kids reach an agreement with the killers from four and the boy from two and set the tradition of the Careers_. Shit._

The next surprise is a pack of carnivore lizards, who kill the district partners from District Three. Soon, the boy from two kills the girl from one, then the boy from one, and then hunts down the district 12 boy and chops his arms off before beheading him, which is televised in full. The girl from seven kills the boy from four and then the only ones left are the seven girl, the trident wielding girl from four, and the boy from two. The boy hunts and kills the girl from seven, leaving him a long gash in his arm. Then after a long struggle, the boy from District Two becomes the first ever victor of the Hunger Games.

The video ends soon after that.

Slowly, each of us recover from the video and the killings we just saw. The video makes my mind reel, and I ask a question out loud.

_My parents MURDERED people? Haymitch killed people too? What is EVEN REAL Anymore?_

_Fitting for someone like you, Mellark! A killer! Cassandra snarls._

_Jason looks pissed off. Zarrah has a right to ask questions about her PARENTS! Zarrah isn't a killer of human beings. She HUNTS ANIMALs for Food. This result- is what happens when you are too arrogant to SEE the EFFECTS of SOCIETY, Princess. IT could be you in that arena!_

_Jason, Zarrah, Cassandra! To the deans NOW!_

I grab my stuff and angrily storm into the pristine office of my dean. Once there, Jason sits with me.

_Thanks but you didn't need to do that._ I say.

_I couldn't just stand there._

_She's been a horrible, shallow person all her life. Not that I blame her though._

We wait for the dean to motion us into her office.

* * *

_Zarrah, Jason. Go home for today. Let out some steam. Come back tomorrow; however, Cassandra, you're out of school of the next three days. _

_What! No way! Just because her parents are-_

_Out. Now._

_Can I grab my painting from Mrs. Weiss? _

_Sure, go ahead._

_Thanks._

* * *

Mrs. Weiss happily allows me to borrow some oil paints and a pallet. I grab the President Snow portrait and Jason carries it for me.

_So you can shoot with a bow?_

_Yep. I know more of my knowledge with medicine. Like properties of herbs and flowers._

_Oh. Can you teach me some._

_Sure. _We stop to grab my quiver and my bow, and we walk until we sit by the flat faced rock that I love. He takes out a jar filled with a strong green mixture. It smells like the forest.

_Mixture of meadow clary and mint. Helps sore throats and stomachs. Good for keeping hair healthy and glossy._

_Cool._

We take out our lunches and eat, taking about plants and the forest. After, I place the painting on the rock, starting to focus in on Snow's facial features. On the left I paint it more in his prime, like in the textbook. I start blending, and then on the right I paint a more feral and desperate and cruel side to him.

I leave it to dry for a bit. Jason smiles slightly, his eyes a pale green now.

_My father was from this district._

_Really?_

_Yeah. He taught me how to hunt and forage. But he's busy almost all the time. He works in politics._

_My mother, well... she's a doctor. She taught me all of the medicine properties. I'm more like her. I'm not short tempered like dad. _

_Thats cool. My parents have been here their whole lives. I look like my mother, but I'm not completely like her. I can hunt and sing, but I have a way with words. I'm a mixture of both of them. I'm closest to Uncle Haymitch._

_Uncle Haymitch? That's cool._

We talk for a while watching the clouds.

_What am I going to do about the painting? Mom's gonna freak out if she sees this-_

_I can take it to my place. _

_Are you sure?_

_Yeah. It won't get ruined, I promise._

_I should hunt for a bit, but I don't feel like it. How about we split the game in half? _

_Sure._ We drop off the painting and supplies at a tiny little shack on the edge of the district. He grabs his bow and a quiver, and we set off to hunt for a bit.

We work well together. Silently, I shoot an unsuspecting deer through the eyes, and Jason helps clean it up and haul it. We chat all the way to the butcher, happy that I caught the first deer in years. In total, we haul back a huge deer, a couple of rabbits and some squirrels. We sell the squirrels to the butcher, and Jason takes the rabbits. We part, promising to hunt tomorrow, and I come back home with a smile on my face, hauling the deer.

* * *

I get home two hours early for dinner. Mom and Dad both grin when I tell them of the deer, leaving out Jason from it. We prepare it for dinner. I'm mostly silent though, and can't bring myself to eat the venison or meat at all. Mom seems concerned but I brush it off, saying that I'm not hungry.

Later, Chase and I watch the news. It tells of a bad storm in 4, and a power outage in the Capitol. Then, I hear something that I don't want to hear.

_Reports say that this man in District Two has killed his sister, wife and two children by beheading them with swords-_

I'm remembering how that boy from two, Kai, beheaded all of those children in the first games. I suddenly stand up, slam the power off button, and flee to my room. I fall asleep okay, but then I wake up when I die in that arena in different ways: beheading, stabbing, axe, arrow and being eaten by lizards. I start screaming,and then I wake up to Mom wrapping her arms around me and singing a lullaby that I heard when I was younger.

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow  
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow  
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes  
And when you awake, the sun will rise._

_Here it's safe, here it's warm  
Here the daisies guard you from harm  
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you._

_Deep in the meadow, hidden far away  
A cloak of leaves, A moonbeam ray,  
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay  
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away._

I start to fall asleep, my eyes closing as I join Mom for the final phrase.

_Here it's safe, here it's warm  
Here the daisies guard you from every harm  
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you._

_ I fall into a dream filled sleep, filled with meadows, flowers, mockingjays and willow trees._

* * *

_AN: Now writing the next chapter! Need of a beta please! Please Review! All rights to suzanne collins, Lionsgate, etc. I will post at some point a list of all the victors and the games on my profile, and I also might write (as a separate thing) the textbook. It won't be 500 pages though!_

_I have work and summer school, but I'm projecting that this be at least halfway done by September. hopefully._

_I'm also going to be adding more to my other fics soon as well!_

_Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!_


	5. Chapter 5: Games of Blood and Roses

The Final Unit 

Chapter Five: Games of Blood and Roses

All rights to lionsgate, suzanne collins, blah. all of you understand that I don't own the Hunger Games. Note: Some violence in here, yet pivotal to the plot and character progression. Also I need a beta, and I'm on break for two weeks with no wifi, but I'll type these out on pages or something! I **Will**** complete** this!

Hopefully I got my characterization of president Snow right, and also Caesar. iThey are my two favorite characters ever, besides Effie, Cinna, Johanna and Haymitch... Okay I love all of the characters in this series.

Please Review and I love you all! Enjoy :-)

* * *

Autumn. The brightly colored leaves in hues like flames fall in the woods I love until it begins to snow. Jason and I manage to bring in a large haul almost everyday, splitting the revenue always in half. I have all I need, however, when I try to convince him to take more, he objects and says that he only need half, and that it wouldn't be the right thing to do.

I finish president Snow's portrait. I continue to add to my project, starting on a portrait of dad with his jaw clenched and his knuckles alarmingly white while he grips a chair like I see him do sometimes. I paint his eyes much darker, more like coals than anything else, and the sunlight hits his hair and face to focus on him. Ms. Weiss says that dad...Peeta... looks like he's actually there, she says that my paintings look alive.

I just paint what I see. That's all that's really to it, I guess. I don't really think when I draw something, yet I believe that I'm reflecting on what The Hunger Games were, and how our country tries to recover from the effects of them and Snow's regime.

It's hard to think of him now without shuddering. I have a bad feeling about him. And I hate those eyes of his.

I now have around 5 different paintings that are apart of my final unit project: Snow's evolution portrait, my father's episode painting, mom standing by the fireplace, looking into the flames...I also figured out that when we watch Haymitch's games, I might be able to paint something related to him.

I still don't know how I'm going to watch my parents in those games. _And_ Finnick. _And_ Aunt Annie. _And_ Aunt Johanna. I get a feeling of terror and my veins feel like ice when I even think about it at all. I mean, we already watched the first ever Victor from 12 win, and he scared all of us. Completely scared the crap out of me. How could someone kill, well, that was the question to every game I watch.

It was one of our first ones, like number sixteen. He was reaped along with another girl who had my father's coloring. His name was Asher Chase Emerson, and he was six feet tall, kind of wiry looking, with raven short hair and ice blue eyes. My coloring.

Asher was 17 when he was reaped, and they were dressed like coal miners and had no sponsors. However, his interview was interesting, and the video showed it it full. They always give the most time to the victors.

I don't care about dying much. We all die anyways. All I'll say is that I hate ignorant and arrogant people, and that will be your downfall. Your greed will get you. And when you underestimate people, well, things don't go as planned.

The arena consisted of lots of pine trees and a lake with some mountains. He killed six tributes with a pair of long knives and a machete, all of them careers. We were all crying about it later, when we saw him comfort a twelve year old boy from District 11 as he died of his wounds. Asher changed then, and he waited until the Careers grew ignorant and killed them all with his machete.

When Ms. Holden and Mr. Olson tried to talk to all of us about it, Cassandra said it was stupid that he comforted the boy, and I told her to shut up, _that if someone is dying that young from something horrific you'd change too._

That got her quiet.

Of course tomorrow we have to watch the 21st and the first Quarter Quell. More twists into an already horrific period of time and annual killing event. My stomach feels horrible, and I'm already loosing weight and sleep doesn't come easily anymore. I don't know how much longer I can take this unit without completely breaking in front of my parents. I mean, its one thing to channel emotions into art, or to read about what happened, yet to watch these Games? It's painful. No wonder Asher had no children.

After tomorrow, I tell myself, I'm going to ask Haymitch about everything, and what he knows...hopefully sober.

* * *

The fancy cursive displays itself on the movie, announcing the 21st annual Hunger Games. An uanmious sigh echoed in the room and all of us straighten up just a bit as the music starts to play, with a commentary of the president and this new host called Ceasar Flickerman, no more than sixteen years old. he has bronze gold hair and he doesn't looks so Capitol centric, yet his laugh...

His laugh will be in my nightmares for a while.

The head gamemaker, Liara, who I absolutely loathe for being the instrument of murdering for the past five years is talking with Ceasar.

I hate watching this.

We get to the reapings, and a couple tributes stand out. The two from District One look extremely arrogant, and beautiful, and also the girl looks a lot like Cassandra. Then, they show the girl from District 2, with scars on her right shoulder and arm, probably a wolf, wearing a shirt that exposes her scars. Her eyes are the same color as mine, and her hair is slightly lighter. She's also pale skinned, and I see a look of determination as she volunteers.

What's your name, girl? The escort's gold dyed skin glares out, her lips too much ice blue.

_Zarrah Fang_. I gasp in surprise. My namesake is right there. I hope she doesn't die. I really hope she doesn't-

They show a bloodthirsty hunk of a boy lunge to the stage, punching the reaped boy and claiming his spot as tribute. He looks seriously terrifying.

Others that stand out are the district 12 tributes and the 17 year old girl from district 11, who also looks like a good contender. In the chariots, the Career Districts make a splash, and then the training scores come in.

Zarrah has a ten, and Uhura from district eleven gets a nine. When the interviews come up, we see Zarrah's in full, who smiles at the audience wearing a full dark blue gown that shows her scars.

_You're so wonderful, HAHAHHAHAHA! So tell me, do you have someone at home?_

_I do, besides my older brother and sister, and I came here so I could be accepted by the District. If I die... well, you'll lose a District Two victor anyways. If I live, then I can live my life in peace._

_Well we all hope you live, Zarrah! Give it up for Zarrah Fang from District 2!_

* * *

We see the arena before the tributes do. It's a mid sized one, with a couple of small islands, a huge one surrounded by salt water. Lots of trees and sand and mostly a canyon on one side. when they come up to the Cornucopia, Zarrah looks at the cornucopia and sees something there. Before the gong rings, the girls from districts 7 and 9 purposely drop their tokens to blow themselves up. When the gong rings, Zarrah sprints to the Cornucopia, grabbing a vest full of throwing knives, a quiver full of arrows, a bow and two backpacks. She escapes the bloodbath, escaping into the wooded area on the far side of the huge island. The camera displays the full horror of the bloodbath, watching as Uhura escapes to where Zarrah is, yet her district partner, both from 5, 6, 8 and 10 die at the hands of the Careers. The camera goes back to Zarrah, who rests to count the canons of the dead. Eleven dead already within the first three hours, and the Careers claim the Cornucopia and the spoils. Zarrah sets up camp in the branches of a couple of trees a while out, wearing her throwing knives vest and testing a couple by throwing them expertly at the trunk of the tree across from her. She hasn't looked at the backpack contents yet.

A rustle in the trees causes her to look up.

_Glad you're alive, Eleven._

_Same here, Fang._

And so an alliance is formed between the two. We watch them look at the contents of the backpacks: a tarp made of plastic, some rope, a first aid kit with gauze and some fever reducer pills. a couple canteens and four packet of crackers. Also two pairs of night vision goggles and one sleeping bag. They split one half of a cracker packet, trying to conserve the food.

_Still no water. Like actual fresh water._

_Do you have a weapon?_

Uhura takes out a pair of dual swords. She smiles and then they decide to hunt for food tomorrow.

_Good. I'll take first watch_.

Zarrah places her quiver on her back, placing the nightvision goggles on her and holds her bow, ready to take out an arrow and shoot from their cover above.

The camera then switches to the Careers, who all decide to take a rest for tonight, then hunt for tributes tomorrow. We see the girl from four take first watch, then grab her net and long spear staff and walk toward the direction of Zarrah's cover. Zarrah sees her and stealthily gets into position, taking an arrow and aiming it at the Career's head. She hesitates for a second so that its a clean headshot, and lets the arrow fly.

District Four's girl drops to the ground instantly, and the cannon sounds, waking everyone up in the arena.

Zarrah climbs down from the tree, and examines the body, taking the spear staff and net. She takes her out into the clearing, and tries to cross her arms in a memorial position, wiping the blood from her face and closing her eyes. Zarrah's hands shake slightly, and when the helicopter comes out to get her with its giant metal arm, she throws up and starts crying.

It was a merciful death. Almost instant and then this girl is changed by it. Not really a girl as she's eighteen. I'll think before I fire my arrows for a while.

My namesake climbs up the tree, and when Uhura asks her what happened, she says that she killed the girl from four with an arrow to her head.

Uhura comforts her as she cries and shakes, wiping her hands on her pants to get rid of what she just did.

_It was merciful for her. I mean, that Career probably killed some of the others in the bloodbath._

_You're most likely right, but that doesn't make me feel any better_.

_You know what? You should sleep now, even if its just a couple of hours...I'll take the next watch._

Zarrah tries to sleep while Uhura takes the watch. The camera switches to the district seven boy trying to swim, but a huge sea monster eats him whole. The cannon sounds.

It's mid morning when Zarrah wakes up to the pinging of a parachute. She opening the canister, containing a spile and a note: Water in trees. So sorry. You shouldn't be in there. All my love- J.

I start thinking to all of the victors from District Two that have won so far:

Kai won the 1st Hunger Games.

Cleave won the 14th Hunger Games.

Nero won the 15th.

Jason won the 18th.

So it would be Jason, then. I remember him...he wasn't with the Careers but killed both from one and four and saved the girl from six. He wasn't like them. Not bloodthirsty nor arrogant.

Then again Zarrah isn't either. She smiles and blows a kiss to the sky, then she digs the spile into the tree. Commentary from Ceasar Flickerman about what that kiss meant. They Capitol is clueless. Uhura grins when there's freshwater, and they drink and move on.

The Careers are pissed. They start to hunt for tributes, killing the boy from 12 with a trident. They move back to the Cornucopia. Uhura and Zarra hunt some birds, and cook them carefully on a fire. They scout for a bit, and eat dinner, talking about things that the Capitol is bored of... Until Zarrah explains about the wolf mutt that attacked her, and how she killed it. She speaks of its crimson eyes like snakes and smelling of blood. Its fur was snow white and ragged. It was huge, bigger than any wolf. She lost so much blood that she collapsed in Victor's Village.

_I'm an outcast because of the scars. He's the only one who accepted me and he saved my life._

The games go by quicker after that. The Careers find Uhura and Sean stabs her in the stomach for a slow and painful death. Zarrah find Uhura and sings to her the hanging tree song. Zarrah then changes, planning carefully how to kill the Careers.

Two weeks after entering the arena, the finale happens in a storm. With lightning ravaging the arena, Zarrah kills both tributes from district one, then Sean and her district partner turn on each other. Sean dies but fataly wounds the district two boy. Zarrah slits his throat so that he wouldn't have to feel the pain.

Before she's carried out of the arena, Victor Jason Riley of the 18th Annual Hunger Games gives her a hug, then kisses her. He helps her out of the arena. The screen fades to black.

* * *

After painting the meadow, I hunt alone today. Mom and Dad are in District 4 for a while. Jason has something to do, and I don't mind having a day to myself.

Until I feel something stalking me. I'm in the thickest part of the woods. I load an arrow and turn until I see a pair of rabid, feral crimson eyes. then, a piercing howl. In the middle of the day.

_Crimson eyes like snakes...snow white fur and smelled of blood._

_Oh hell!_

I flee as the pack of wolf mutts follow me, ready to kill. I leap over a boulder or two, yet a yellow furred wolf with peircing blue eyes blocks me. I kill it before the recognition happens.

_I just killed dad._

I stumble for a second as I aim another arrow and shoot one that looks like Haymitch, then as I keep on running, I kill one like Johanna, one like Annie... One like Mags Cohen from four...

As a bronze haired, green eyed toned one lunges towards me, I grab my hunting knife and stab it before it bites me.

_Finn? is that you? Or is that dead Uncle Finnick?_

More come at me, always the crimson eyed one at the back. I kill more of them as I try to outrun them, yet their gaining speed. One that looks like Zarrah Fang, One like Kai from two. Then, one with razor sharp teeth in gold speeds past the others. She claws at my ribcage, and I scream in pain as I let the arrow fly that kills her.

I stumble when I see the meadow field by the flat faced rock. I fall, feeling sick, terrified, weak.

_Has my life come to this?_

_Please...Don't!_ Two wolves look over me. One has fur like a mockingjay's feathers, and silvery grey eyes. She looks like me. I see the collar with a number scawled on it.

12.

Tears come to my eye as I ready my last arrow. Its mom, a mutt. A rabid, twisted version of her, yet still her. I won't be able to forget this image for the rest of my life. for its mom, and I don't know if I'll be able to look at her the same, much less anyone I've killed as a mutt hybrid.

She lunges as I let the arrow fly, and it his its target. Her heart.

I start yelling at the top of my lungs when the snow wolf's eyes make contact with me.

_Jason! JASON! JASON! SHIT! MUTT! Mutt! MUTT! GET OFF me! OH **SHIT**, PLEASE! Somebody HELP! JASON! JASON! FUCK!_

_The wolf lets out a human laugh, terrifying and sinister. I stare at its crimson eyes, and then smell the sickening stench of blood mixed with roses._

_Snow leaps onto me, and I put my arms around my face so that I could protect that part of me at least. He claws into my right arm, tearing off the skin and I let out pure painful screeches as it continues to dig into my shoulder and breathe that stench of blood and roses until its ingrained into my skull. Snow enjoys this, taking its time as I slowly black out._

_Suddenly, I hear the unmistakable whiz of an arrow flying, and feel the dead weight of the snow wolf upon me. I feel it come off me, then I'm limp as I see through my blurred vision raven hair and bright green eyes. Jason carries me in his arms, sprinting, as everything turns to black..._

* * *

_To be continued..._


	6. Chapter 6: Nightmares

The Final Unit

Chapter 6: Nightmares

All rights to suzanne collins, etc. will update in a couple of weeks. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

I awake to mockingjays chirping. I feel warmth from the sunlight hitting me, and I blinks a few times to open my eyes. I have a white sheet around me, and a soft, evergreen comforter that somehow is only up to my waist. It looks like I'm in a log cabin, by looking at the wooden ceiling. I try to sit up, yet my head starts to kill and I feel like my lungs have been shot.

_Easy there_. Jason put a hand on the small of my back, and one on my forehead. His hair is ruffled a bit, and he has dark circles underneath his eyes. He looks concerned, and also relieved.

_Where are we? _My voice sound gravely underused.

_Its a cabin by a lake...I keep my medical supplies here... _

_...You weren't going to make it to the hospital in time._

He reaches for a cup filled with water. It has a slightly green tint to it. I sip on it, quenching my thirst. It tastes like mint.

_Thanks_. He props my pillows up so that I'm not risking my lungs. He takes my left hand and holds it for a second. I look at the gauze wrapped around my ribcage, right side. My whole right arm from my hand to my shoulder is covered.

_The...Mutts did this to me?_

_I'm glad I was there with my bow...It...was slowly torturing you._

The wolves...one like my mother, with mockingjay feathers. One like my father... I remember these things and tell Jason what happened.

I'm sobbing as I tell him of what they looked like. He just holds me until I calm down, then takes off my bandages.

I have deep, deep claw lines on my arm that it looks grotesque. More like my parents burn scars. they look incurable , and I look away once I get a glimpse. I'm a monster now.

_Zarrah._

_Zarrah. I can heal them the best I can... and you can hide them from view. Long sleeves and the like._

_My parents are back on Monday... will they heal by then?_

_Yes._

_I won't let anyone hurt you again. Never again, I promise._

_I believe in you, Jason. Always._

* * *

On Monday my scars are healed mostly, and I stop by my room to shower and change into a long black sleeved turtleneck, jeans and my long black wool coat. I leave my hair down, and I grab my school stuff.

I take a pair of hunting knives and conceal them in my coat, just in case if those...wolves come back. They come back in spurts of the back of my mind, and every night I replay killing everyone I know, and also watch helplessly as all the tributes die in horrific ways... in every single game that we watch.

I shake my head to get rid of the thoughts and I trudge through the snow to school, without Chase, who stayed over at a friend's house for this weekend, thankfully.

I draw the mutt of Snow, its feral fur and crimson snake-like eyes, and shudder when I finish it. for the rest of the class, I read about the games in detail, and stop at number 25.

**First Quarter Quell. 25 annual Hunger Games, by Victor Zarrah Riley, formerly Zarrah Fang.**

_Shit. _My mind says to me, _She got back in there again?_

I continue to read about my namesake, and how District 2 elected her to go back into the arena, with a three-year old son and husband waiting for her. she made it through, except after she thought Snow and wrote about the lies of the Capitol about District 13, which she sent to all the victors willing in secret. It was also when tokens started to be inspected for being weapons, as her ally from District 6, brought into the arena a dual bladed staff, which when he died Zarrah used it to win.

She disappeared along with her family after the 55th Hunger Games, and no one knows where they went.

* * *

At lunch I sit with Jason, awaiting the time I get to leave. It's uneventful, and I refuse to think of the mutts that invade my dreams.

Mr. Olson looks at me as he talks,_ since we've reached enough of the games (a third of them), that we're going to have a test on Friday._

Most of us groan, I stay silent.

_We are going to watch the next of these out of order. The reason, is that each of these victors was involved in the rebellion, or didn't die during the Victor's Purge._

_Victors Purge? _Cassandra asks, dumbfounded.

_When the Capitol and District Thirteen killed all of the Victors except for a few during the Second Rebellion. _Jason answers, _Only seven to ten survived._

Silence. My hands start to shake violently. I control myself enough to quell them, until they are tremors. I don't know why I'm shaking, or why the fear, the icy cold terrible fear is in me. We watch more tributes get killed in the Games, seeing Seeder from 11, Brutus from 2, Leonidus Riley, son of Zarrah and Jason Riley from 2, and many, many, many more become victorious.

I paint the mutts in a meadow, their details vivid as I can remember. I paint my hands and bow as I shoot my mothers, my perspective as I kill each and every one of them. I make many canvases, and I stay until I must leave.

My parents look at me with suspicion as I tell them goodnight, for I don't eat much.

It's hard to say that I rarely sleep, but when I do, my dreams are filled with the nightmares of the Games, the dead, and the mutts. The nightmares are all-consuming, and I hide my scars, and grow distant from my parents, and Haymitch.

Later in winter, we watch Haymitch's Games, I watch as I see him, much younger. I grow paranoid when I see the Mockingjay pin that my mother has, adorned on another tribute's chest.

I see the arena, in all it's glory, its beautiful mountains and all too perfect flowers. I watch as twice the amount of tributes die. I see the transformation of Haymitch, _Uncle_ Haymitch, into a murderer. Into a drunken man, as he comforts the girl with a pin as she dies in his arms.

He uses the force field to his advantage, the axe plummets itself into the girl from One's head, and he is declared winner.

With a price, of course. No wonder all of his family is dead, and he resorted to drowning his problems in alcohol.

I let myself into Haymitch's house after that, and he looks at me with dark circles under his eyes, and he throws the knife at me. I grab the handle in flight, and hand it back to him.

_Whatcha here for, sweetheart?_

_A fucking explanation on how you killed those tributes, and why no one has never had a realization to TELL ME THIS?_

_Calm down, little bird. So you've seen the Hunger Games?_

_Fifty of them, Haymitch. Watching tributes kill each other isn't my thing. And, in addition, my father writing the introduction to the textbook we're reading..._

_I mentored 23 pairs of tributes dying by myself as Asher died the year after I won. Your namesake disappeared with her son and her husband to district thirteen. She told me of the rebellion, and we met a couple of times. You remind me of her._

_Kay, Haymitch. I get my namesake, but just tell me an explanation._

_Sweetheart, I can only tell you of my games, and my story. If you want more of an explanation, you gotta talk to Johanna when she comes in next week with Annie and Finn and Cam and Astrid._

_Okay, Haymitch. Yet we better make a pact. Don't tell my parents._

_Not going to, little bird, never in a million years am I making your mother angry again. Now sit here while I tell you my past._

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To be continued! please review!


	7. Chapter 7: Mentoring is Hell

The Final Unit

Chapter 7: Mentoring is Hell.

All rights to Suzanne Collins, etc

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_It was the first year I mentored. I had two twelve year olds, and my family was killed. My mother, my brother, my girlfriend. I didn't resort to drinking yet, until I took my place in a lounge dedicated to mentors. Victors of the games in years past._

_The sliding glass doors gave way to circular room, a u shaped couch and mostly all the food anyone could dream of, yet no avoxes in sight. Steps lead to upper level, filled with winged like chairs and twenty four monitors. And headsets, a table for each district, and an array of buttons. Two phones also, the ones with cords, and a huge model of the arena, with the tracking of the tributes. _

_I had the money from the sponsors on my monitor, and as I walk over there I see all of the other mentors staring at me. I stop in my tracks, glaring at them back._

_That is, until your namesake came over to me._

_Her hair had some gray streaks within, yet she stood tall and unburdened. Zarrah Riley was only a couple of inches shorter than me, and me, being 17, never watched her games. Her eyes were almost the exact same shade as yours. She looked me right in the eye, shook my hand, and said something I would never forget._

_I'm Zarrah Riley. You don't know me, but I won the 21st and the 25th. You haven't seen my games, nor would I expect you to do so. I'm from District 2, Haymitch._

_Welcome to the games that never end, our hell._

_I was so shocked that I didn't move for a minute or two, and then, all of the other mentors met me._

_Diamond and Shimmer from District One. Then Beetee and Wiress from Three. Mags and Librare from Four, kind souls. Then, wondrously, Micah and Camille from Five, and Tiberius from Six introduced themselves. Titan from seven and then Woof and Selena from eight._

_I don't remember the ones from nine and ten, only to say that they were reluctant. I met Chaff and Seeder for the first time, and then I sat at my monitor, checking that everything was in the right place. Yet I would never knew what happened next, or the horror..._

_The 51st Hunger Games started, and my girl tribute died when the district one boy speared her for the first death. My boy tribute made it for a couple of hours, until he got bit by a venomous snake and died a torturously slow death. _

_After I looked away, and tried to recover, I felt a hand pat my shoulder. When I looked up, I saw a man in his late twenties look at me concerned, Zarrah behind him. They looked alike._

_They lead me to the couch to comfort me, ignoring their own tributes. When I mean comfort, sweetheart, I mean just siting beside me so that I didn't kill myself._

_The boy had raven hair, and Zarrah's blue eyes. He was tall, about 6 feet, and lanky. _

_Who are you? I asked_

_I'm Leonidus Riley, son of Zarrah and Jason Riley. I won the 38th. _

_They punished you good, huh. I remarked to Zarrah._

_She glared at me, her hands clenched. Probably a bad thing to say to a Victor._

_I've gone into the Games twice, I've watched my son win. He's tried to punish me, to hurt me. Yet Snow hasn't realized that no matter what he does to control the districts, someday we will have had enough and win. That time isn't now, however, I will wait until I must go._

_We became friends, I turned to alcohol, and she and her family disappeared right after the 55th. _

_That's what you deal with as a mentor, loss and punishment, over and over again. Until your mother came along. _

_Zarrah Riley was correct in that the Districts would finally have enough of the Capitol, and that it wasn't the time, yet. Until twenty years after she disappeared, the rebellion happened._

_I'll tell you more later, little bird. I just need to sleep, and you, darlin' need to start writing and sketching what I just said._

_That's what I'm doing, Haymitch, That's what I'm doing._

* * *

We have a week off from school. I rejoice in this, for no more Games, even though I'm assigned to watch numbers 61 through 71. I add to my project, painting the mentor's room that Haymitch described. I smile as I walk into the house with my game bag.

_I'm Home_

_Long time no see! Aunt Johanna hollers, giving me a hug. I try not to stiffen up In ly instinctual reaction to any victor. _

I see Finn give me a sheepish smile, and embrace me.

_You've grown tall. I say._

_You've also grown. _He replies.

Within this homecoming, I joyfully hug Aunt Annie, who looks like she's in a good mood, and also smile as Johanna's kids, my friends Cam who has her eyes yet Jacob's appearance and Jaina, who's Johanna all the way through. Cam and Jaina are my age, while Finn is four years older. I feel happy for once in a while, and Cal, Jaina, Finn and I all go out for a walk, wanting to catch up without our parents around.

I just hope that it goes well, and that I don't say something wrong to lead them about my ordeals.

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A/N: short chapter to tie all of you over! Hope you like it and please review! next chapter coming soon! Need a beta so please PM me and I'll get back to you by next week.


	8. Chapter 8: Breaking Down

_AN: This took a long time, and its very short, but its only to tie all of you over for a little bit. Work is crazy, so is summer school, so I apologize. Next chapter will come when I have the time and not in work! Please review :-)_

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The Final Unit

Chapter 8: Breaking Down

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The room is quiet except for the buzz of the television whirling to life. The room is somewhat messy, and the young teens sit by each other. A pile of discs sit in a corner. One is taking notes. Another has the remote in her hand, in case if someone or something happens that is unspeakable.  
It's reasonable, as they're watching the Hunger Games.  
Jiana pops the disc out, sliding it into its case. The pop echos across the room, for it is silent.  
Zarrah finishes writing on the 62nd Hunger Games, the pencil ceasing its scratching. She is silent-no- all of them are silent.  
For Enobaria won by ripping the tributes throats out with her teeth.  
That...was unexpected. Finn says, his cheery attitude gone for a moment, replaced by confusion.  
A bark-like laugh comes from Jiana, causing everyone to look at her like if she's nuts:  
I thought someone else would do that by now! I mean, District Two is usually insane, so why not? Another Career, Capitol carved, supposed victor of hell.  
Usually someone would hear by now, but they decided to spend the week in Haymitch's house, without him.  
Being unsupervised wasn't really a problem, because it was just Finn, Jiana, Cam and Zarrah, no Chase at all. They stuck together like glue.  
Yet, Zarrah was withdrawn, mostly. It had to do with the fear, and also...the mutts in her dreams.  
They haven't gone away just yet, and it hurt her, tortured her profoundly. Still, she felt as if, in conjuction with that event and the fact that she was watching tributes kill each other, there was no way that she was ever going to be unburdened by the past.

Or the present.

Not even the legacy of President Snow.

They managed to not cause any suspicion from their parents, thanks to reliable, good old Haymitch. Katniss had scowled at him as he told them that the older kids needed some space.

It wouldn't matter to her, not yet. Until one of them cracked, that is.

So they watched the 63 and 64th, Zarrah taking notes, sketching a bit of the Victors Gloss and Cashmere, brother and sister, Jiana's hands gripping the remote, just to have a bit of control. Finnick making comments on what could happen. Cam just sat there, his eyes wide eyed, and making notes about the arenas.

It was peaceful, like this, until Finnick's father appeared in the 65th, and he broke down.

Hard.

He never knew his father, so he stayed highly attentive, gathering information. Annie never told him much, only in illusions and her mental...fits. He watch as he was reaped, standing tall and proud. Then his interview, and then the horrific arena, when he watched as his father refused all the gifts, and asked humbly for a trident.

That was the game changer- Finnick Odair became victor of the 65th annual Hunger Games at age 14.

Sleep doesn't come easily to any of them that night. Zarrah sketches Enobaria again, looming over a tribute, about to kill him with her teeth.

The rest of the vacation is spent watching the Games in secret, and Finnick becomes irreversibly changed, as he watches his mother break. The last disc is when she wins, and then Zarrah starts to hyperventilate.

She has to watch her parents next week. In school. She ignores her parents questions of her health, and hides her scars.

And sketches, mostly sketches, of the horrors of the past. Jaina yelled at the screen when Annie's district partner was beheaded, and Zarrah did not sleep that night.

For she screamed until her throat couldn't work, and Johanna shook her awake.

_Shush! You don't need to scream your whole damn heart out! I mean, damnit, whatever it is, its not real._

_It was real! REAL! Beheadings are real, Johanna! I...I...I Can't!_

Johanna tried to comfort her in shocked silence, and when the fear subsided, Johanna promised to never tell anyone, so Zarrah told of her fear, and Kai... And Annie...

She would not speak of the wolves, or the fact that she watched as her father was beheaded by Finnick... Haymitch... And Snow...

It was the start of her breaking down.


End file.
